Dunbar's Smith named the Ravens' Coach of the Week

Dunbar football coach Lawrence Smith has been named the Ravens' High School Coach of the Week after the No. 8 Poets christened their new William F. “Sugar” Cain Field with a 64-0 win over Carver on Friday night.

Smith, who was also a Ravens Coach of the Week in 2009, has the Poets (8-1) in first place in Baltimore City’s Division I. Since falling to No. 2 Calvert Hall, 30-6, in the season opener, the Poets have shut out six opponents and allowed just 14 points in those eight wins.

“Our defense has been playing exceptional all season long,” Smith said, in a news release. “Our goal going into every game is to hold the opponent to one touchdown or less and our defensive coordinator (Michael Carter) is doing a great job of that. This game against Carver was no exception.”

The Poets finish the regular season Friday at Patterson before moving on to the Class 1A South regional playoffs. Winners of six of the last eight Class 1A state championships, the Poets have won nine straight regional titles.

This is the 16th year for the Ravens' Coach of the Week award. Each week a different high school coach will be honored with a $2,000 donation to his school’s football program, a certificate and a Coach of the Week hat. Each weekly winner also will be featured in a Comcast SportNet segment.

All of the winners will be invited to the Ravens' Dec. 16 home game against the Denver Broncos, where the Ravens' High School Coach of the Year will be named.